Board of Directors

Paul Mackings, started his working life as a digital electronics engineer. He is now an entrepreneur who has managed and owned businesses in many industries including Office Equipment, Waste Management & Recycling, Nursing/Residential Homes, Bars, Restaurants, Hotels and Nightclubs, Professional Rugby and is now a Property Developer working in regeneration around the North-East.

He is a Fellow of South Tyneside College and Chairs the Melrose Learning Trust. He was previously the Vice Chair of Wynyard CE Primary School. He is also a Director of the Illuminare Multi Academy Trust in South Tyneside and is a Patron of the Sunderland Carers Centre.

Paul is married with two children and two grandchildren. He played rugby for 26 years, refereed for 14 years, giving back his time to the game he loves. He now plays golf, badly!

Jessica studied European Studies and French at the University of Bradford where she spent a gap year working in the European Parliament in Strasbourg running the office for a UK MEP. Following her degree she moved into Event Organisation which led her to working for DePuty Johnson and Johnson in their International Professional Education department based in Leeds. A love of Orthopaedics and patient outcomes led her to a Sales role working with Consultant Surgeons across the North East. During this time she met her partner Jason. In 2010 they welcomed their daughter Vesper.

Jessica has 20 years in the Med Tech Industry, currently employed by Beckton Dickinson as a Senior Sales Representative for General Surgery.

She has several years of governing experience, starting as a member of the local governing body at Wynyard Primary from its inception and helping with the original free school application, her daughters education being the motivation for this role. Jessica was invited to join the Board of Directors at Melrose Academy Trust in December 2020 where she is currently the Vice Chair. Jessica also holds Parent Governor position at Sedgefield Community College Secondary School.

Jessica is committed to supporting the future growth and development of Melrose Learning Academy Trust. Holding the belief that each child should be treated as an individual and be given the opportunity to maximise their potential in a school where they feel happy and safe. A thriving school is one where leadership is strong at all levels and where staff are supported and enjoy their working environment.

In her spare time Jessica is a keen walker participating on annual charity treks and enjoys Yoga, Pilates meeting up with friends and spending time with her family. A little known fact is that she holds the Freedom of the City of London.

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After completing a History degree at Nottingham University and a PGCE at Durham University, Helen began her teaching career in 1998.  Her first teaching post was at Sherburn Village Primary and she soon took up the role of SENCO and became a member of the leadership team.  In 2009, she was seconded to work for Durham Local Authority’s Special Needs Team, as an Inclusion Management Adviser.  This involved working with SENCOs and school leaders across the County to support them with the inclusion of pupils with additional needs.  As part of this role she led training and, through a project called Confident Schools – Confident Parents, was involved in the strategic development of SEND across County Durham.  Helen then started her first headship in 2011 at Evenwood C of E Primary before moving to Aycliffe Village Primary in January 2018.  This school was in the Ofsted category of requires improvement when Helen took up post and under her leadership it improved rapidly to an Ofsted judgement of good by April 2019.  In June 2020, Helen returned to working for Durham Local Authority’s SEND Team as an Advisory Inclusion Teacher for the Cognition and Learning Team.   She relishes the opportunities this affords to visit schools across the County and to support pupils, their families and staff to ensure additional needs are understood and effectively supported.

Helen has a passion for education and is acutely aware of the impact a positive educational experience can have on pupils, their families and communities.  She has particular interests in curriculum development (including wider opportunities for curriculum enrichment), providing an ethos that prioritises the wellbeing of pupils and staff and effective inclusion in school for children who may be considered vulnerable.   She has been a school governor for just over twenty years, in four different primary schools (not all at the same time!).

In her spare time Helen enjoys spending time with family and friends.  She loves eating out, going to the theatre, walking the family dog, playing the piano, singing and a weekly pilates class.

After studying Maths at Cambridge and then Computer Science at Edinburgh and Northumbria, Steven joined Durham University in 1997 as a lecturer in Computer Science and has been a Professor (teaching) at Durham since 2020. He chairs the ACM UK Special Interest Group in Computer Science Education and has published several research papers in computer science pedagogy, particularly in the areas of assessment and diversity. As well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in maths and computer science he holds a Postgraduate Certificate of Academic Practice.

With four children now finished school, Steven has had a long history of school governance, including many years as Chair of Governors at Esh CofE Primary School, and is currently a member of the Melrose MAT board and the board of governors at Durham Trinity School. He is also involved in his local church, where he is the treasurer.

Steven likes playing musical instruments and singing and holds many music qualifications including Grade 1 Violin (with merit). He is qualified in Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting as well as Felling and Processing Trees up to 380mm. In sailing he holds the RYA Day Skipper Practical qualification and acts as personal sailing advisor to Guy Gordon, the Highland Vet, having previously held the rank of patrol leader of the Penguins in the 19th Tynemouth 9th Tyne Sea Scouts.

Kendra always knew she wanted to be an English teacher, and so started her studies in 2003 at Salford University. On completion of a graduate teacher programme, she moved back home to the North-East to a school in Middlesbrough, where she was quickly promoted within the English department and then whole school. Being part of the English leadership team where they achieved 86%, Kendra then felt ready to take up a senior leader post in 2015 in a school that was in special measures. Kendra helped the academy to achieve a ‘Good’ for the first time in its history of opening.

Kendra has worked across six schools teaching English to year 11 students, and in four schools as a senior leader. Her leadership roles include Assistant Headteacher; and Deputy Headteacher in two schools. Her passion for education has enabled her to speak at national and global conferences, sharing her knowledge and expertise of reading in a secondary curriculum; and teaching and learning. Kendra has completed a Doctorate in Education from Teesside University in 2023, and would like to be a Headteacher in the future.

Kendra lives in Wynyard with her husband, and two children. She is an avid reader and belongs to two reading groups.

Rhiannon is the Chief Executive at Beamish Museum, with over 30 years’ experience in the culture sector, with extensive charity and independent museum expertise across a range of functions including commercial, operational, project and people leadership and management. With a background in art and design, Rhiannon graduated from Teesside University with a BA in Architectural and Design history, and Newcastle University with a Masters in Museum Studies.

Rhiannon has experience of being a self-employed artist and antiques dealer as well as strong volunteering within museums and communities. Rhiannon’s professional experience includes the Oxford Cultural Leaders programme and appointment to the Board of Association European Open-Air Museums, council member of National Museums Directors Council, Association Leading Visitor Attractions and North East Chamber of Commerce.

Rhiannon has been a school Governor, loves volunteering with local schools and is a culture sector mentor and coach. Rhiannon lives in County Durham with her partner and their daughter and has a great love of the outdoors.

Director of Melrose Learning Trust and Chair of Finance and General Purposes Committee

Governance: Director since May 2022, previously Chair of Dove Academy Trust prior to Dove joining Melrose from May 2022. One of the founding directors of Dove in 2016, previously Local Authority appointed governor at one of the two Dove academies, High Coniscliffe CE Primary since 2005.

Employment: Current (since 2016), Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) leading on the Academy Trust Handbook, previously carrying out financial statements reviews, financial and governance reviews, and funding audits in academy trusts. Previous employment, Local Authority Auditor which included carrying out audits across the whole of the Council including maintained school audits for 20+ years.

Skills: All aspects of financial and governance responsibilities for academy trusts and in particular the requirements of the academy trust handbook, including writing supporting guidance and procedural documentation. Good experience and knowledge of project and change management, financial and management information systems, and procurement.

Education: qualifications in accountancy and financial reporting for academies, various management and governance qualifications. Background: married with two teenagers and a Labrador, enjoy keeping fit, walking, cycling and parkruns. Rugby coach and treasurer for the mini and junior sections at Mowden RFC.

What drives me as a director of an academy trust: Passionate about ensuring that all children have the best chance in life and are provided with the best education we can provide. Initially got involved in 2005 to find out more about school governance and to give something back!

David studied Physics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge University, graduating in 1980, and began his career passing on his love of science as a teacher. The IT revolution saw him move first to Epson, working in the UK and Japan, and then for Dell in the UK and Austin, Texas. He trained for ordination starting in 1996, while still in a senior management role in Dell’s transition to the online world.

After a curacy in Hertfordshire, David moved home to the north east and served in the parishes which included the Wynyard estate, as well as Area Dean of Stockton. He was a founding director of the Wynyard Primary School trust, as well as chair of governors at Ian Ramsey CE Secondary, and then a director of the Dayspring Trust.

Throughout his career, David has always loved a change management challenge, whether it was the introduction of desktop publishing at Epson, web sales at Dell, or working with big change projects in the Church of England. His most recent appointments have been with the Transforming Wigan project, and now as Change Rector for the parish of Billingham – home to another Melrose Trust School, Priors Mill.

David is married to Kate, a senior Prison Chaplain. He loves music, wine, good food, and open-top motoring, but he really ought to get back on his bike.